Preparation and Evaluation of Herbal Gel Incorporating Saussurea obvallata Extract with Antimicrobial and Wound Healing Potential
Main Article Content
Abstract
Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Edgew. Brahma Kamal (Asteraceae) is a plant species vulnerable to extinction from the Himalayan region, traditionally used for wound healing, and for antimicrobial use. The objective of the present study was to formulate topical gels of S. obvallata hydroethanolic leaf extract with Carbopol 940 and evaluate the physiochemical properties, antibacterial activity and physiochemical properties of the developed formulations and their potential for wound healing. The various concentrations of the extract (1%, 2%, 3% w/v) were converted to different gel formulations (F1, F2, F3) and their physical properties: appearance, pH, spreadability, viscosity, and skin irritation were assessed. Antibacterial activity was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia by using the agar well diffusion method. A burn wound model in wistar rats has been used to assess the wound healing potential for 20 days. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, alkaloids, terpenoids, glycoside and saponins. The percentage of dried extract obtained from ethanolic extraction was 14.52% w/w. F2 (2% extract) exhibited physicochemical properties that were optimal with a pH of 6.34 ± 0.02, spreadability of 24.6 ± 0.42 g·cm/s and viscosity of 4785 ± 103 cP. The zone of inhibition for F2 against all the tested organisms was significant ranging from 13.85 to 16.85 mm. For burn wound model, F2 treatment resulted in 95.48 ± 1.16% wound contraction by day 20, which showed a similar epithelialization period of 17.40 ± 0.96 days compared to Povidone-Iodine standard group. It was not irritating in skin irritation tests. The results indicated that S. obvallata topical gel has the potential to be an effective antibacterial and wound healing agent, supporting its traditional applications and suggesting further research is warranted.